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Opinion: December 2009
Mistletoe and whine
Terence Cosgrave | 18 December 2009 | Editorial
Terence Cosgrave takes stock of the events of 2009, and predicts another difficult year for the health service... Read more
Department fixed despite new expert advice on vCJD
Dara Gantly | 18 December 2009 | Guests
With the UK set to filter all blood destined for young children, Dara Gantly examines why the Irish Department of Health is not following suit... Read more
Playing a round with Tiger
Dr Garrett FitzGerald | 17 December 2009 |
Despite having a ‘relationship’ with Tiger Woods for some years, Dr Garrett FitzGerald still needs Santa to bring him a new machine to slow down the golfer’s swing to ten million frames per second if he is to learn from... Read more
Don't buy your partner an iPhone
17 December 2009 | The Inside Back
Four months after purchasing an iPhone, my level of connectedness with the world has probably increased a hundred-fold. I used to have a flivver of a phone - large and ugly and often semi-functioning - and no contract: I was... Read more
All doctors are treating themselves and families
17 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Editor, The headline in a recent edition of Irish Medical Times (December 4, 2009) of ‘Young GPs usually treat themselves’ should really have read ‘All doctors usually treat themselves’. And not only do they treat themselves, but they also... Read more
TD hotline shows failure of centralisation
17 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Editor, I see the Department of Health is considering a hotline for Oirechtas members to follow their constituents’ medical card applications (Irish Medical Times, December 11 2009). With the HSE reversal to regional service, is this a covert strategy... Read more
SPUC took legal case on abortion document
Ed Madden, BL | 16 December 2009 | Guests
Ed Madden, BL, looks at a recent Northern Ireland High Court case in which the Court was asked to quash the publication of a guidance document on abortion... Read more
Poor literacy poses risk for patients
James Fullam and Dr Gerardine Doyl | 16 December 2009 | Guests
James Fullam and Dr Gerardine Doyle of UCD's School of Business on how health literacy can ensure patient safety... Read more
A Nobel tale for Christmas
Dr Darragh Little | 16 December 2009 | Guests
Limerick GP Dr Darragh Little revisits a former college friend and Nobel Prize winner in his hidden lab in Connemara to discover the secret formula behind the mysterious gnosticum... Read more
The real cost of computerisation
Niamh Mullen | 16 December 2009 | Guests
Niamh Mullen reports on new research from the US which has found that while embracing computers may improve quality scores, it does not necessarily cut the cost of running a hospital... Read more
Coming to a land down under
Brian Herron | 16 December 2009 | Guests
Brian Herron examines why more and more Irish doctors are looking to Australia to enhance their careers... Read more
€1.5bn being spent on malnutrition
16 December 2009 | Guests
A leading expert believes Ireland needs to formulate a new policy on malnutrition and address its mounting cost... Read more
Budget ends partnership
Terence Cosgrave | 11 December 2009 | Editorial
Terence Cosgrave writes that the Budget marks the end of social partnership — which may be no bad thing... Read more
Michael Shine’s victims still waiting for justice
Dara Gantly | 11 December 2009 | Guests
Dignity 4 Patients spokesperson Bernadette Sullivan tells Dara Gantly of how doctors in the northeast failed to report the allegations of sexual abuse against Michael Shine... Read more
Patient safety report spurs changes
Gary Culliton | 11 December 2009 | Guests
Gary Culliton reports on the first quarterly report from the Implementation Steering Group set up to respond to the recent patient safety report... Read more
Graft could cut surgery needed by dialysis patients
Brian Herron | 11 December 2009 | Guests
Brian Herron reports on the University of Limerick's new graft which could help dialysis patients and bring 'considerable revenues' to UL... Read more
The comfort zone
Dr Garrett FitzGerald | 10 December 2009 | Garrett FitzGerald
Dr Garrett FitzGerald writes that 12 unpaid working days will be equivalent in the health service to 5,000 staff missing every working day, but it saves face for the unions... Read more
It's time for leadership to put up or shut up, not pander
Dr Mick Molloy | 10 December 2009 | Mick Molloy
Dr Mick Molloy argues that strikes won't get us out of our mess, and that leadership may have to institute cutbacks reminiscent of those in the '80s... Read more
The prosyletising atheist strikes again
Dr Pat Harold | 10 December 2009 | Guests
Dr Pat Harold doesn't go to Mass, but he has faith in the soul and the afterlife. He argues that fundamentlist atheists are just fundamentalists with a different faith... Read more
You live in a society that has no ideas
G.B. | 10 December 2009 | The Inside Back
Cormac McCarthy, the acclaimed US author, sold his typewriter for about $250,000 in a Sotheby’s auction. The money went to charity. This to me is a sign of a deluded individual maintaining a belief that there is something magical and... Read more
Cannabis use and link to psychosis is not proven
10 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Editor, The article in IMT 4/12/2009 regarding the association between high-potency cannabis (skunk) use and psychosis is misleading. Dr Marta Di Forti and her team published their results in the British Journal of Psychiatry. They collected information from 280... Read more
An open letter to Minister Harney and Prof Drumm
10 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Minister Harney and Professor Drumm, As part of the proposed Public Services Reform, I would like to draw your attention to one area that is a source of great disquiet to myself and to many of my doctor colleagues... Read more
Some sense and nonsense of the public/private ratio in Irish maternity care
10 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Editor, It is indeed very commendable that Ms Harney, Prof Drumm and Ms Lynott are trying to increase access for public patients to hospital services. Their background thinking must be that private patients hinder or block opportunities for access... Read more
Generous severance seen to reward failure
Ed Madden, BL | 09 December 2009 | Guests
Ed Madden, BL, looks at a recently reported English High Court case in which the Court decided that a severance package for a chief executive of an NHS Trust was ‘irrationally generous’. Could it happen here?... Read more
Employers must investigate Christmas party complaints
Dermot Casserly | 09 December 2009 | Guests
Dermot Casserly of Beauchamps Solicitors writes that employers must take steps to prevent incidents occurring at work-related social events – including the Christmas party... Read more
Employers must investigate Christmas party complaints
Dermot Casserly | 09 December 2009 | Guests
Dermot Casserly of Beauchamps Solicitors writes that employers must take steps to prevent incidents occurring at work-related social events – including the Christmas party... Read more
Commitment to cancer research
Staff reporter | 09 December 2009 | Guests
This year's ICS Research Fellowship Awards highlighted work by the best and brightest young researchers in Ireland's fight against cancer... Read more
Striking a different note
Terence Cosgrave | 04 December 2009 | Editorial
Terence Cosgrave says that strikes are an outdated and counter-productive tactic for disgruntled public servants... Read more
Strange but true
Dr Garrett FitzGerald | 03 December 2009 | Garrett FitzGerald
Dr Garrett FitzGerald writes that it is getting harder and harder to square one particular circle. Health insurance is rising, subscribers are leaving, but we keep on building private hospitals... Read more
When ‘FF’ sees a horse, he bets on it
Dr Pat Harold | 03 December 2009 | Guests
Dr Pat Harold, tells of the woeful and diminished romance of the former beloved dandy from the country, named FF, and the sophisticated Miss Greene. It looks irreconcilable... Read more
Happiness is a 'noble' thought but best to avoid some advice
Terence Cosgrave | 03 December 2009 | Guests
Terence Cosgrave on a new book that explores the Irish view of happiness and contentment... Read more
Devices help heart failure earlier
Brian Herron | 03 December 2009 | Guests
Brian Herron reports on a trial of CRT-Ds, devices that can benefit patients in the early stages of heart failure... Read more
Will you now crash your SUV to be like Tiger?
G.B. | 03 December 2009 | The Inside Back
Tiger Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant or tree or both, and this has become, at least as I write this, the most significant news story since the election of Barack Obama. It was certainly a lot more... Read more
Incretin mimetics have modest effect
03 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Editor, I read with some dismay your recent report on liraglutide published on 27/11/2009. It seems to lack balance to me. Apparently this was from presentations made at the Annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of... Read more
Recognition of muscular dystrophy register welcome
03 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Editor, I welcome the announcement by Minister of State John Maloney in Irish Medical Times (16 Nov), that the Irish/British Duchenne muscular dystrophy register will officially be recognised by the Government. Muscular Dystrophy Ireland has been lobbying for this... Read more
A response to the HSE's attempt to reduce GP fees
03 December 2009 | Letters
To Mr Patrick Burke Primary Care Reimbursement Service Finglas Dublin 11 cc Editor, Irish Medical Times Dear Mr Burke, I am in receipt of your letter dated 11/1/2009. The letter itself is quite unique in that it is couched in... Read more
A response to the HSE's attempt to reduce GP fees
03 December 2009 | Letters
To Mr Patrick Burke Primary Care Reimbursement Service Finglas Dublin 11 cc Editor, Irish Medical Times Dear Mr Burke, I am in receipt of your letter dated 11/1/2009. The letter itself is quite unique in that it is couched in... Read more
Patients still on trolleys and operations still being cancelled
03 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Editor, I was moved by Professor Brendan Drumm’s article in the latest Irish Medical Times (20/11/2009) to share some measures of the health service’s performance which Professor Drumm failed to mention. First there is the reality for patients still... Read more
Assessment doesn't need fasting
03 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Editor, The fasting protocol for measuring cholesterol is not necessary. A recent change in the design format of patient request forms was instituted by the laboratory that I routinely use for chemical pathology analysis. In a departure from the... Read more
Canada is looking a lot more attractive to general practitioners
03 December 2009 | Letters
Dear Editor, Those who would devalue general practice in Ireland might well learn from a similar Canadian experiment. The experiment resulted in a mass exodus of doctors from that country to the extent that about 15 per cent of Canadians... Read more
Social services manager was criminally harassed by client
Ed Madden, BL | 02 December 2009 | Guests
Ed Madden, BL, looks at a recent UK High Court case in which the court upheld a conviction of criminal harassment of a social services manager by a client... Read more
Malawi mums need support
Denis Donohoe | 02 December 2009 | Guests
Denis Donohoe warns that when we recruit healthcare providers to Ireland from developing countries where shortages exist, we cause deaths... Read more
Nelligan wins student research medal
02 December 2009 | Guests
UCD medical undergraduates are contributing to the growing body of reseach being conducted in Ireland and recently, one of their number was awarded the prestigious Summer Student Award Scheme Medal — sponsored by Irish Medical Times — at a ceremony... Read more
‘Paperless’ hospital opens in Scotland
Niamh Mullen | 02 December 2009 | Guests
A new Glasgow hospital is seen as a model for future hospital planning and heralds a new era in patient care. Niamh Mullen reports... Read more
Cost of cancer is more than cost of treatment
Niamh Mullen | 02 December 2009 |
Niamh Mullen reports on the results of a study by the National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI), which estimates the cost of cancer... Read more
Doolin lecture by Ombudsman
Niamh Mullen | 02 December 2009 | Guests
Niamh Mullen provides some background to the upcoming Doolin lecture, which will be given by Ombusdman Emily Logan... Read more
Risk of depression may be possibly be measured
02 December 2009 | Guests
Brian Herron reports on the recent conference of the College of Psychiatry of Ireland, where participants discussed depression... Read more